According to a recent Justice Department report, nearly 3 percent of college women will experience rape or attempted rape each academic year.
The researchers interviewed 4,446 women attending two- or four-year colleges.
In the survey, 2.8 percent of women reported they had been raped or had escaped an attempted rape. The report claims that 27.7 rapes occur per 1,000 female students in an academic year. The statistic for the entire year, including reports made in the summer and during vacation times, jumps to 4.9 percent.
The 4.9 percent incident rate of rapes may also be a misleadingly low statistic because the "reported number [of rapes] vastly understates the actual number," Asst. Dean of Students John Foubert said.
Many rapes go unreported each year because the victim may feel embarrassment, fear that she will be blamed, misunderstand rape terminology or be reluctant to identify her attackers, the report said.
Research shows nearly 60 percent of rapes occurred in the victim's residence, 31 percent in other campus living quarters and 10.3 percent took place in a fraternity house.
The University tries to combat incidents of sexual assaults by preventative education, Foubert said.
Programs include sexual assault discussions for all incoming first years during orientation and programs in residence halls, sororities and fraternities. Student education groups such as One in Four and the Sexual Assault Education Office lead these efforts.
One in Four, an all-male peer education group with 31 student participants, targets its education exclusively at men. One in Four defines rape, discusses survivor empathy and advises men how to help a rape survivor regain control over her life, fourth-year College student and member Dan Carlile said.
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